Mae West Wins “Wittiest Line In Defense Of Liberty”

Mae West is sometimes cited as an early libertarian for her then scandalous, now liberated, views regarding criminalization of homosexuality, miscegenation, and other “sins.” Per The Guardian, “Constantly denounced by the conservative press, pursued by police and censors, West became a leading symbol of the Roaring Twenties and made numerous appearances in the criminal courts.”

On April 19th 1927, actress Mae West was sentenced on a morals charge for portraying bawdiness on stage and thereby potentially corrupting the youth. Exasperated with her lack of repentance, the judge finally snapped at her: “Miss West, are you trying to show contempt for this court?” She replied sweetly: “On the contrary, your Honor, I was doin’ my best to conceal it.”

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Featured Films

In 2018, ten new libertarian films (six narrative films and four documentaries) were identified and are listed below. It’s noteworthy that many of these films were made on a shoestring budget and clawed their way up through sheer merit -- the declining cost of film technology combined with online distribution … Continue Reading

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About Miss Liberty

This site is a collection of films and documentaries of particular interest to libertarians (and those interested in libertarianism). It began as a book, Miss Liberty’s Guide to Film: Movies for the Libertarian Millennium, where many of the recommended films were first reviewed. The current collection has grown to now more than double the number in that original list, and it’s growing still.